Iron Gate Pass (Tiemen Guan)

Located 8 kilometers from Korla City, The Iron Gate Pass connects the Yanqi Basin and the Tarim Basin in central Xinjiang. The pass follows the gorge of the Kongque River. The main settlements linked by the pass are the town of Yanqi in the Yanqi Hui Autonomous County to the north and the city of Korla in the Bayin'gholin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture in the south. It is one of the 26 famous passes in China, and acquired the name 'Iron Gate' for it is solid and firm just like an iron gate. The Iron Gate Pass was of historical strategical significance because it formed a vulnerable bottle-neck on the Silk Road.

The pass is part of an arduous section of the Silk Road which one needed to travel to reach Tarim Basin (located in Xinjiang, the largest interior basin in China). The pass lies in Tieguan Gorge which has been a strategic location since ancient times. A famous poet named Cen Sen in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) once wrote a poem depicting the steepness of the pass. In his poem the gate is a place where people worry seriously about how to pass through, and where persons are rarely seen. Looking upwards, you can only see the cliff; looking downwards, the torrential water rushes with waves churning in Kongque River.

Many tourists come to visit the gate because they are attracted by a famous love story. The story is set in ancient time and tells of love between a princess and the son of a minister. They fell in love but this is opposed by the King, the father of the princess, and the King's evil advisor. Under pressure from the King and persecution by the advisor, a final tragedy happens: The princess and the young man suffered so much that together they ultimately leaped to their death into Kongque River. In order to commemorate the two youngsters who sacrificed their life for love and freedom, a tumulus where they are buried together was built on the Gongzhu Ling opposite the gate.

At present, the pass is no longer part of the road infrastructure of the region and is preserved as a scenic and historical area. The modern road (G218) from Yanqi to Korla passes through the mountains to the east of the gorge. As a result of the efforts of architects, sculptors, and artists, the gate has become an example of excellent architecture which attracts some 300,000 tourists every year.

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